Content differentiated hierarchical modulation used in radio frequency communications

Abstract

The present invention employs hierarchical modulation to simultaneously transmit data over different modulation layers using a carrier RF signal. Each modulation layer may be of a higher or lower order than the other modulation layers. Certain embodiments of the present invention may transmit different information on the different modulation layers. Other embodiments of the present invention may use the different layers for processing different information streams.

1. A method for transmitting information to user equipment from a first of at least one base station comprising:
 transmitting first data using a first modulation layer of a first carrier radio frequency (RF) signal; and 
 transmitting second data using a second modulation layer of the first carrier RF signal during transmission of the first data, 
 
       wherein the first and second modulation layers are hierarchical modulation layers of the carrier RF signal, and the first data comprises different content than the second data. 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  wherein the first data comprises data unrelated to the second data. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1  wherein the first data comprises a different type of media content than the second data. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1  wherein the first data comprises a different programming channel than the second data. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1  wherein the first data comprises a particular type of media content in a given program that is unrelated to the second data. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5  wherein the particular type of media content is one selected from a group consisting of audio content, video content, voice content, and specific data content. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1  wherein the first carrier RF signal comprises a plurality of modulation symbols, such that each of certain of the plurality of modulation symbols comprises first order bits that provide the first data and second order bits that provide the second data. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7  wherein the first order bits are of a higher order than the second order bits. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 7  wherein the certain of the plurality of modulation symbols are quadrature amplitude modulation symbols, and the first order bits comprise phase information. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1  wherein the second modulation layer is time-shifted from the first modulation layer. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10  wherein a modulation rate of the first modulation layer is less than a modulation rate of the second modulation layer. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1  wherein the first data comprises first broadcast data and the second data comprises second broadcast data. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 1  wherein the first data comprises first unicast data and the second data comprises second unicast data. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 1  wherein the first data comprises broadcast data and the second data comprises unicast data. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 1  wherein the first data comprises programming content. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15  wherein the programming content comprises content from at least one programming channel. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 15  wherein the programming content is associated with at least one selected from a group consisting of audio content and video content. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 15  wherein the second data comprises programming content. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 15  wherein the second data comprises voice content. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 15  wherein the second data comprises specific data content. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 1  wherein the first data comprises voice content. 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 21  wherein the second data comprises specific data content. 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 21  wherein the voice content is associated with a cellular telephone call. 
     
     
       24. The method of  claim 1  wherein the first data comprises specific data content and the second data comprises specific data content. 
     
     
       25. The method of  claim 1  further comprising a method for transmitting information to user equipment from a second of the at least one base station comprising:
 transmitting third data using a third modulation layer of a second carrier RF signal; and 
 transmitting the first data using a fourth modulation layer of the second carrier RF signal during transmission of the third data, 
 
       wherein the third and fourth modulation layers are hierarchical modulation layers of the second carrier RF signal, and the first and third data are associated with different content. 
     
     
       26. The method of  claim 25  wherein the first data is associated with content relating to a first geographic area and the second data is associated with content relating to a subset of the first geographic area. 
     
     
       27. The method of  claim 25  wherein the first of the at least one base station is associated with transmitting to user equipment in a first geographic area and the second of the at least one base station is associated with transmitting to UE in a second geographic area. 
     
     
       28. The method of  claim 27  wherein the first geographic area does not overlap with the second geographic area. 
     
     
       29. The method of  claim 1  wherein the first data comprises broadcast data having national content and the second data comprises broadcast data having local content. 
     
     
       30. The method of  claim 1  wherein the first data comprises broadcast data having regional content, and the second data comprises broadcast data having local content. 
     
     
       31. The method of  claim 1  wherein the first data comprises at least one program channel for a basic program service and the second data comprises at least one program channel for a supplemental program service. 
     
     
       32. The method of  claim 1  wherein the at least one base station forms a single frequency network (SFN) by transmitting equivalent data on at least one equivalent modulation layer at the same time using a plurality of antennas. 
     
     
       33. The method of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the first data and the second data is modulated onto at least one sub-carrier using one selected from a group consisting of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) and single-carrier frequency division multiplexing (SC-FDM). 
     
     
       34. The method of  claim 33  wherein the first data is processed differently than the second data. 
     
     
       35. The method of  claim 1  wherein the first of the at least one base station has a first antenna and a second antenna, wherein the first data is transmitted using the first and second antennas, and the second data is transmitted using only the first antenna. 
     
     
       36. The method of  claim 35  wherein the first data is processed differently than the second data. 
     
     
       37. The method of  claim 35  wherein the first data comprises content from at least one programming channel. 
     
     
       38. The method  claim 1  wherein at least one of the first data and second data comprises RF communications system control channel data. 
     
     
       39. A radio frequency (RF) communications system comprising:
 at least one communication interface; and: 
 a control system associated with the at least one communication interface and adapted to:
 transmit first data using a first modulation layer of a first carrier RF signal; and 
 transmit second data using a second modulation layer of the first carrier RF signal during transmission of the first data; and 
 
 user equipment (UE) adapted to receive the single carrier RF signal, 
 
       wherein the first and second modulation layers are hierarchical modulation layers of the single carrier RF signal, and the first and second data are associated with different content.